Product Description
$19.95 – $35.95
Rusty’s Favorite™ is a grafted cultivar that is extremely productive tree with a drop period from mid September through mid October. This tree is a standard apple producing a 3” apple no matter the fruit load that is on the tree, it is consistent and no need for thinning. This tree produces a large and sweet apple that’s taste is comparable to that of a Macintosh apple, and is about perfect in size and shape even in a no spray situation. The apple has a nice sweet crunch with low tannins and excellent flavor. Rusty’s favorite™ is a vigorous growing tree among the top 20% of apples trees grafted and grown here.
Among its many unique qualities such as the shear number of apples it produces, along with its great taste, it has excellent disease resistance here in the Northeast, in my opinion I would say it surpasses most of the modern day disease resistant varieties of apples available on the market today. Rusty’s favorite™ is one of the cleanest, best tasting wild growing trees I have ever seen.
The original tree is 70+ years old and has received temperatures as low as -25 degrees making it well suited for northern climates. This is an incredible apple and ideal for a low maintenance Wildlife orchard. This grafted apple tree is annually productive and originates from Northwest Pennsylvania. This tree is found residing in a region of the state that has thousands upon thousands of wild apple trees and yet sets itself apart by being one of a kind. There is no need to thin this tree because it easily handles its fruit load and manages to mature to a very nice sized apple. Mature height will be 20’+. Plant hardiness zones 4b to 7.
Description
Rusty’s Favorite™ Apple
Rusty’s Favorite™ is a grafted cultivar that is extremely productive apple tree with a drop period from mid September through mid October. This tree is a standard apple producing a 3” apple no matter the fruit load that is on the tree, it is consistent and no need for thinning. This tree produces a large and sweet apple that’s taste is very comparable to that of a Macintosh apple, and is about perfect in size and shape even in a no spray situation. The apple has a nice sweet crunch with low tannins and excellent flavor. Rusty’s favorite™ is a vigorous growing tree among the top 20% of apples trees grafted and grown here.
Among its many unique qualities such as the shear number of apples it produces, along with its great taste, it has excellent disease resistance here in the Northeast, in my opinion I would say it surpasses most of the modern day disease resistant varieties of apples available on the market today. Rusty’s favorite™ is one of the cleanest, best tasting wild growing trees I have ever seen.
The original tree is 70+ years old and has received temperatures as low as -25 degrees making it well suited for northern climates. This apple tree comes from Whitetail enthusiast Rusty Tracy of Northwestern Pennsylvania. There are more than 1,000 wild apple trees growing on and around his property and a tree like Rusty’s favorite sets itself apart by being one of a kind. There is no need to thin this tree because it easily handles its fruit load and manages to mature to a very nice sized apple. Mature tree height will be 20’+. plant hardiness zones 4b to 7.
The Rusty’s Favorite™ apple is made by using plant tissue from the original tree and attaching it to the new roots. This essentially is giving you an identical tree, of the one you see in the picture and description.
TREE SIZE
2-3′ ( 3/8” dia.) These trees will have a good root system. They will be whips around 3′ high with a trunk diameter of 3/8”.
3-5′ ( 1/2” dia.) These trees will have a good root system with some possible branching but will mainly be whips. They will range in height between 3′ to 5′ with a trunk diameter of around a 1/2”.
4-6′ (+ 1/2” dia.) These trees will have an extensive root system and typically having multiple branches but many will be solid whips. They will range in height between 4′ and 6′ with a trunk diameter of 1/2” to 3/4”.
2-yr 4-6′ (5/8”-3/4” dia.) These two-year-old trees will have an extensive root system and can have multiple branches with a diameter of 5/8” and greater. We will be pruning the trees back to a shipping height of 66” with the roots. Our largest box is 66″x 14″x 15″ and will hold 15 of the 2-yr trees. Free local pick-up is open to the surrounding states of Pennsylvania.
STANDARD ROOTSTOCK
Rusty’s Favorite apple is grafted to a standard root that is extremely cold, hardy, and vigorous. This Rootstock is an excellent choice for wildlife trees because it produces a full-size 20’ to 30’ tree. Producing a full-size tree for wildlife means much more fruit on a given tree. This rootstock will develop deep ”Real roots” making it exceptionally well anchored, penetrating well into the subsoil, pulling up lost nutrients, and making it very drought tolerant. This root is a great all-around rootstock for wildlife plantings.
This standard-size rootstock is adaptable to many soil types and conditions, especially when planted in less desirable locations. Therefore, with its full vigor, can be used in areas that were once wooded and are now food plots, reclaimed land, shale mountain soil, dryer uplands, and ridges. This standard rootstock will also perform well in improved soil in an orchard-style setting. We are only grafting onto the most vigorous roots in a given year. When grafting onto the top 30% of seedlings, you get a rootstock about 40% more vigorous tree than many clonal stocks used for wildlife trees today. Rusty’s Favorite apple is very precocious, with many trees producing very quickly anon this standard root making it an all-around excellent rootstock for wildlife plantings.
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR RUSTY’S FAVORITE APPLE
Plant at least 1 different apple or crabapple varieties within close proximity for pollination. Grams Gift, Dolgo Crabapple and Enterprise apple make excellent pollinator for Rusty’s Favorite™ apple. Plant all apples and crabapples in moist, well drained soil with a soil pH between 5.8 – 7 with adequate nutrient levels for optimal growth.
If you have not completed a soil test click here and improved your soil I would highly recommend doing so. However, if you are not going to I would recommend mixing 1 ounce for every 3 sq ft of 0-20-20 granular fertilizer in your soil at the time of planting. The first number tells you percentage of nitrogen contained in the fertilizer. Nitrogen applied directly to the roots of the tree will cause death to your tree, make sure the first number is zero.
Nitrogen is very mobile in the soil and you can apply a small of nitrogen the following year. The 2nd and 3rd numbers are Phosphorus and Potassium. Apply these two nutrients at or well before the time of planting, because they are basically immobile in the soil, they will need mixed in through the soil. We recommend completing a soil test and making amendments for best results. We recommend applying 1 lb of 10-10-10 for every inch of diameter in the spring the following year and each year after planting.
Rusty’s Favorite™ Apple requires a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight for growth and fruit production. Space trees 20′ apart and use cages of at least 5’ to protect your trees. This will ensure your deer eat your fruit in a few years and not your trees this year.
SHIPPING/PICK UP
Shipping to Plant Hardiness zones 2 – 8 will begin again in mid-March on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (you select your ship date) and continue until the last Monday in April. Dormant bare-root trees must be planted in the spring, while trees in your area remain dormant. You can select your ship date as you checkout on the website. If you are picking up your trees, typically, the last week in March or the first week in April is perfect for planting in Pennsylvania. We have opened up the free local pick-up to the surrounding states as it could be more cost-effective if you order more than 30 trees. You can select your pick-up date on the website as you checkout. Please call or message us to make an appointment to pick up your trees if you can not make the date you selected.
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Additional information
| Weight | 18 oz |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 58 × 2.30 × 2.30 in |
| Tree Size | 2-3' (3/8''dia.), 3-5' (1/2'' dia.), 4-6' (+1/2'' dia.), 2-yr old 4-6' (+5/8''dia.) |
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Returns: We have been shipping plants around the country for quite some time now. We provide
healthy live plants. We take every effort to ensure that your plants are packed in a way that
maintains that health as they arrive to you. We can not be responsible for how plants are handled
when they leave our care or are handled by customers.
Tree care: If you plant your tree up on high dry ground they may need watered through the first
summer, if you plant too low and wet your trees may drown. Be careful of the herbicide you may
use around the tree (read the label). I want you and your trees to succeed but if you don't tube or
cage them the deer will eat your tree that night.
Hours: We do not keep regular hours. If you would like to visit the nursery, just call, send a
message or email. Anyone is more than welcome.
Selected pickup dates: Trees can be picked up in the spring as soon as you can dig in your soil.
Trees need to be picked by the end of April. Before picking up, please contact us letting us know
when you are planning to come so we can have your order ready for you when you arrive.
Shipping: When buying grafted trees, depending on the amount of trees you order will determine
the size box the trees will be shipped in. If you order 4 two year old trees, they will fit into a 66in
x 8in x 8in box. Ordering 5-15 two year old trees will fill into a 66in x 15in x 14in box. Ordering
16 or more two year old trees will fill into 2 or more boxes, depending on the total amount of
trees bought. Trees may need to be professionally pruned to fit in these boxes. Ship dates will be
selected by you before completing you order. We ship trees from early March to late April. You
should select a ship date that is suitable for the location you are planting your trees. Trees will
ship through UPS on Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Wednesday’s. You will receive an email
notification when your trees ship. When trees arrive, plant as soon as possible. If you cannot, it
would be best to heal them into soil or store in a cool place not allowing roots to freeze but not
allowing the trees to become warm.
If Tree Tube products are the only items you purchase then they will ship as soon as the order is
received. You may have to select a ship date but I can assure you if you are just ordering tree
tubes they will ship immediately. If Tree Tube products are purchased with trees, then they will
ship with the trees.
Due to the cost of shipping there will be a minimum of 4 trees that have to be purchased in order
for checkout to occur. Due to phytosanitary regulations, we do not ship to Alaska, California,
Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
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Turning Point™ has readily seen temperatures of -35 degrees, making it well suited for Northern Climates With all of its great qualities, Turning Point™ is an essential Mid and late-season apple tree for providing a substantial food source for all wildlife, especially deer, even into the winter months Turning point™ apple will have a mature height of 20'+ Suitable for plant hardiness zones 4-7
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Big Lou™ Crab is easily one of the most unusual and unique trees I have ever encountered. This grafted tree is a heavy annual producer of a 2" apple crab that holds and drops a portion of its fruit during the months of late October, November, December, and January here in Pennsylvania. Big Lou™ Crab drops the most fruit during December and January but will also retain enough fruit that it will continue to drop well into February. For a video from January 17th, 2020, CLICK HERE.
Big Lou™ Crab has a very unusual taste. During the middle of winter, it takes on a nutty yet pear-like flavor. It's easy to see from the pictures and the video of this tree that Big Lou is a Whitetail's favorite treat in very late fall and in through winter. Unlike most other fruit I have ever seen, the fruit holds its integrity, even after being frozen and thawed many times. In the pictures of Big Lou's fruit, you can see that the flesh of this fruit is still firm and intact in the middle of January. If you like to hunt Pennsylvania's late hunting season in January or many other states throughout the Northeast or the Midwest, this tree is necessary. For a video of Big Lou™ on March 1st, 2021, CLICK HERE
The original tree resides in North Western Pennsylvania in plant hardiness zone 5a. Big Lou exhibits no sign of Apple Scab, C.A.R, Powdery Mildew, or Fireblight here in the north. The original tree has seen a sub-zero temperature of -24 that would place its resilience well into plant hardiness zone 4. Plant Hardiness zones 4b - 7. Mature height of 20'+
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This grafted tree produces a standard size apple. Keener Seedling also know as (Rusty Coat) , originated in Lincoln County, NC. around 1880. Keener Seedling has proven to be an exceptional apple for the North, growing well into Zone 4b.
The apple is medium in size, sweet and firm. This grafted tree is productive, vigorous and very disease resistant. In a no spray situation I have seen good resistance to apple scab, cedar apple rust, powdering mildew and fireblight. It ripens extremely late and can hold on to the tree into December. Keener Seedling has an early bloom with a late ripening period typically hold and drops in late October/December. The great Disease resistance this tree has makes for an excellent tree when planting for wildlife. Keener Seedling will reach a mature height of 20'+. Plant Hardiness zones 4b-7.
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